October Fentanyl Crackdown in Wyoming Leads to 9 Arrests, Thousands of Pills Seized

The original story by Nick Perkins for Oil City News.

A month-long federal crackdown on fentanyl in October led to nine arrests in Wyoming and thousands of pills taken off the street, according to the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division.

Wyoming is part of that division, along with Colorado, Utah and Montana. The four-state group was one of 23 domestic field divisions — plus seven overseas offices — that joined the DEA’s nationwide “Operation Fentanyl Free America” push in October.

In Wyoming alone, agents seized about 4,313 fentanyl pills and roughly 79 grams of fentanyl powder. They also confiscated two weapons, about $3,360 in cash and just under a kilogram (.93 kg) of meth, the DEA said. In all, nine people were arrested during the operation.

“The concentrated efforts of the Rocky Mountain Field Division during October’s Operation Fentanyl Free America resulted in fewer drugs, fewer criminals, and fewer weapons in communities across our four-state region,” said Special Agent in Charge David Olesky.

Across the entire Rocky Mountain Field Division, the focused October effort turned up more than one million fentanyl pills, ranking the division third among all DEA field offices nationwide for the operation.

The DEA says that, as of Dec. 1, 2025, agents across the country have seized more than 45 million fentanyl pills and over 9,320 pounds of fentanyl powder this year — an estimated 347 million potentially deadly doses kept out of circulation.

Even with those numbers, Olesky stressed that fentanyl is still the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18–45.

“Fentanyl Free America,” the broader DEA campaign behind the October push, is built around three main goals: protect, prevent and support.

• Protect: Targeting the cartels and networks that make and move fentanyl, cutting off the supply chain before it hits local communities.
• Prevent: Pushing out education and awareness through initiatives like the “One Pill Can Kill” campaign, Red Ribbon Week, National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, Operation Engage and other outreach efforts.
• Support: Providing families, parents and educators with up-to-date information, conversation guides and support networks such as the Together for Families initiative, aimed at helping people navigate substance use risks and recovery.

Recent DEA testing shows that about 29% of fentanyl pills checked now contain a potentially lethal dose — still extremely dangerous, but down from 76% just two years earlier. At the same time, fentanyl powder purity has dropped from 19.5% in 2023 to about 10.3% in 2025, a sign that the supply is being disrupted even as traffickers keep pushing product.

National totals from October’s “Fentanyl Free America” operation are expected to be released by DEA headquarters at a later date.